


A Moment or Two

by Lilsi



Category: The Bill
Genre: Comfort, F/M, M/M, Relationship Discussions, Support, slow development
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-04-20
Packaged: 2018-01-20 03:39:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1495186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilsi/pseuds/Lilsi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luke kisses Craig in his office. They discuss the situation. Slow developing relationship type fic.  Prequel for Rollercoaster.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Moment or Two

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfiction was once posted at Craiggilmore.co.uk a fan site no longer active, so to preserve this story and others, I am importing them to AO3. I did not want the loss of such a large amount of amazing and wonderful fanfiction, it would be such a waste to fans of Craig Gilmore and Luke Ashton to not have the opportunity to enjoy these stories as i have. Since the site is no longer active i have been unable to contact the creators but if you happen to be them under a new pen name and want the fiction to be removed please send me a note!
> 
> Story written by - Alex
> 
> Written for the CG - Kiss and Tell Challenge - 3rd Place

Luke withdraws from the kiss, yet his hands still firmly hold Craig's hips against him, unable to relinquish his grip.  Sighing, with relief, he drops his head against the reassuringly rough uniform jumper before him.  The blood is pounding in his ears. 

 

Craig finds himself awkwardly patting the shoulder of the boy now before him.

 

“It's okay,” Craig offers rather gruffly, his face full of compassion.

 

Luke is desperately concentrating on the small patch of blue wool closest to him, gently fingering the fabric.  Very aware of just how fast Craig's heart is racing.

 

“Is it?” he whispers, “Really?”

 

Craig has control of himself now, Luke finds himself soothed by the gentle rise and fall of the chest beneath him and the rhythmic thud of the heart within.

 

“Really,” Craig's voice reverberates through him and buzzes against Luke's cheek, “But maybe not here, hey?”

 

Craig rubs his chin over the top of the smaller man's head, momentarily surprised at how soft Luke's hair actually was.  'Who'd have thunk it?' he ponders as he gently makes to disentangle himself from their embrace.

 

“Shit,” Luke groans “SHIT!”

He is suddenly scared, lifting both hands to Craig's chest, levering himself away, his eyes wild.  Firm hands grip his shoulders and struggle to hold him still.

 

“Luke,” Craig speaks softly.  “Luke.”  Bunched muscles strain against him.  “Luke.  Stop!”

 

Craig doesn't think it will work.  Let's face it when has Luke ever obeyed a direct order from him?  But Luke **does** pause.  Long enough anyway for Craig to clasp both his wrists in his own, much larger hands and fold him back towards him.

Luke is absolutely still now, absolutely rigid.  Then trembling.

 

“Breathe Luke.”

 

“Oh!” Luke shudders as he inhales, nervously catching his lower lip between his teeth as he glances up at the older man's worried face.

 

Craig notes the gesture with a raised eyebrow and a small smile.  In fact all his movements, now, become smaller.  He is scared of startling Luke into flight.  He fractionally loosens his grip on Luke's wrists, and takes a tentative step forwards.  Luke steps back before him and stops.  He is unable to raise his gaze further than Craig's collar and stands bewildered.

 

“I think,” Craig loosens his grip still further whilst he thinks of a way to bring some normality to scene.  Luke now only has to lower his arms to be free ( he doesn't.) “That we should go for that drink now,” Craig finishes.

***************************************

 

Or Two

Luke is desperately clutching a mug of cold tea like a lifeline.  It's all he has.  He daren't, yet, make any form of contact with the large man sitting opposite him in the café.  He has no idea how they got here.

 

“......”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Try and eat that chocolate Luke,” Craig repeats, “it should help.”

 

Automatically Luke gathers the bar towards him, fingering the wrapper, preparing to tear it open.  Abruptly he pushes it away.

 

“Can't.” Luke unsticks his tongue from the roof of his mouth, he's thirsty and wishes that there was something to drink.

 

“It's okay.”

 

“You said that in your office.”

 

“Yes,” Craig agrees.

 

At last Luke manages to look up. 

 

Craig, is waiting, his fabulously long legs stretched in front of him effectively trapping Luke at the table.  Realising he is under scrutiny he shifts in his seat and glances through the window.  Life appears to be going on as usual on the other side of the glass.  'Come on Luke,' he urges silently, 'I'm desperate, I need you to start talking.'

 

“I can't...” Luke stops, apparently surprised by the sound of his own voice.   “I don't....” he tries again. 

 

Craig raises an eyebrow at him encouragingly.

 

“Do I have to do all the work here?” Luke bursts out, exasperated.

 

“Yes Luke, this is one time when you _really_ do.”

 

“It's hard.”  He's fidgeting, with a spoon.

 

“I know.”

 

“You were supposed to come!”

 

“Sorry?”

 

“To the pub for a drink,” Luke elaborates. “Do you know how hard it was? To come to your office? To ask you?” He's hitting the spoon against the side of the mug now, tip tap, tip tap, tippety, tippety, tap.

 

“A pretty good idea. Yes.”

 

Tap tap, tap tap, tappety, tappety, tappety, tap.

 

“You expect me to believe that?” Luke hisses, the spoon clattering across the table top as he launches himself forwards.

 

“Yes Luke,” Craig bites back, “I expect you to believe just that!” he clenches his fists beneath the table, desperate not to lose control completely.

 

“You could have made it easier.  Everywhere I turned, you were right there, you should have said something.”

 

“Come off it Luke, I'm your superior... ”

 

“Yes,” interrupts Luke bitterly, “I'm your subordinate, and anyway, I'm not your type.”

 

“You thought you were warning me off!”

 

“You said I wasn't your type,” Luke persists.

 

“I was with Sean!”

 

“And look how that's turned out!” Luke retorts.  Craig rubs his hand slowly down across his face, as realisation dawns on Luke's.  “He was ranting about you having somebody new.   ‘Someone at your _precious_ station.’ I was jealous, I needed you to notice me.”

 

“It is you.”

 

“Yeah. Yeah, I get that now.”  Luke smiles wryly, and finally begins to relax, “Then yesterday...”

 

“Yesterday, I offered to take you for a drink and you ran straight to Kerry,”  Craig finishes for him, laying his palms flat on the table.

 

“That was a mistake.” Tentatively Luke brushes the tips of Craig's fingers with his own.

 

**********************************

 

To Change Your Life

 

Craig is sitting in 'The Gloucester', a quiet pub, which Luke had chosen as their meeting place.  He allows himself a small smile when Luke finally arrives.  Inside his heart is beaming.

 

”Sorry,” Luke is breathless. “I couldn't get away from Kerry.”  He grimaces. “You must have thought I wasn't coming.”

 

Craig takes a mouthful of the pint in front of him, draining the glass and very deliberately sets it down on a beermat.

 

“You did.” Luke is crestfallen. “You thought I wasn't coming!” 

 

Craig can't deny it.

 

“I need a drink,” Luke carries on, “And you look like you could do with a refill.”

 

“Just a half. Thanks.”

 

Craig allows himself to relax as he watches Luke at the bar. 'Brave boy,' he thinks.

 

“That was hard.”  Luke settles himself down.

 

“What, getting the barman to believe you're over 18?”  It's a feeble attempt at a joke and Craig knows it.

 

“Getting through the shift.”  Luke manfully ignores him. “Without you.”

 

“It was always going to be a tough day for you,” Craig acknowledges.

 

“Well, I wish I'd hung around for a bit this morning.”

 

Luke's leg rests against Craig's beneath the table, they both find it very reassuring.

 

“Instead of bolting the minute I saw Inspector Gold.”

 

The encounter had left Craig anxious all day.  They are both quiet for a moment.

 

“It would have been nice to speak to you at refs though,” Luke volunteers.

 

“Kerry came over, I thought you might need some space.”

 

Luke chokes slightly on his beer,

 

“I needed some space from her! She spent all day trying to get me to ask her out again.”

 

“But you'd told her it's over?”

 

“Anyone else would think so.  I mean, I got into that car with her and apologised for ignoring her yesterday. I told her that I like her,” Luke pauses for a moment and then continues steadily, “But I was sorry, it had been a mistake.”

 

“Sounds pretty final to me,” Craig agrees.  “She can't be feeling all that great right now though.  That creep Martin dumps her and now her rebound guy won't sleep with her.”

 

“She'll get over it, someone else will be along soon, and I don't think Kerry's the type to hang about.” 

 

Luke finds himself fascinated by Craig's lips and watches closely how they kiss the side of his glass when he drinks.

 

“What else did you say to her?”

 

“You don't miss much do you?”

 

“My copper's nose is twitching, spill the beans PC.Ashton.”

 

Luke thinks for a moment.

 

“I told her,” Luke is speaking very quietly, his eyes locked on Craig's, “that I wasn't ready for a relationship.”

 

“Aren't you?”  Craig is sitting very still.

 

“Well I never would be with her anyway.”  Luke tries to brazen it out.

 

“What about somebody else?”  Craig asks gently.

 

'I want to be with you forever.'  Luke thinks.

 

“No-one makes me feel the way you do,” he says simply, “I just need to take it slow.”


End file.
